Introduction

A number of features are available which can be associated with the font group.  Thus text rotation can be specified as well as line spacing, lines per page, margin and the font to be used with spooled files.

There are over 100 fonts supplied with PSF/400, they are held in file QFNTCPL which must be available on the IBM i. Most of these fonts are very similar. There is one 10 cps reverse image font. The most effective fonts for printing and faxing are the Gothic Roman series. The bold fonts fax well. Fonts are available in 10, 12 and 15 characters per inch. The Proprinter 5pt is the largest font available in QFNTCPL. Additional font libraries may be purchased from IBM.

The font file CFAX contains the Gothic Roman fonts. The font file HFU contains fonts compatible with the Cobwebb/400 fax system.

The spooled file font is inserted automatically if a spooled file is wider than 80 characters, so that the text fits on the page.

Each font can be specified using either the Font Character Set Name or the Font Global Identifier (FGID), or both.

In both cases a Code Page is specified to ensure the correct character set is used, this will normally be the same as the character set and code page specified in the IBM i System Values QCHRID.

The FGID is used to print a fax on an IBM i AFP printer if an FGID has been entered, if not the font specified in the Font Character Set name is downloaded to the printer from the IBM i.

The only disadvantage to using a downloaded font is the time taken to download the fonts to the printer.  

To specify the correct FGID i.e. an FGID similar to the font specified as a Font Character Set Name it is necessary to have details of the resident fonts held in the printer including the Type Face, Width, Character Set and Code Page. Note: - It may be difficult to find a resident printer font which looks the same as the IBM i downloaded font.

For the more technically minded here are some points of interest: -

1.The IBM i automatically determines the FGID's of the resident fonts stored in the printer.

2.If an FGID is specified which is not a resident printer font, the IBM i will decide on the nearest match to a resident font in the printer, and use that font.

3.If an FGID is specified with no equivalent Font Character Set, the IBM i will decide on the nearest Font Character Set to download.

For a full explanation of Working with Fonts see the Appendix D. Working with Fonts, Font Character Sets, Code Pages, CHRIDs, and Coded Fonts.

The Work with font groups display lists all the font group file members.  You can add a new font group member to the file (create), revise or copy an existing member and delete a member.

See the topic Fonts available using CPPD for more information on the use of fonts in CPPD.